Wide base type carrier

ABSTRACT

A plurality of type carriers of U-shaped configuration are provided with legs of increasing width which overlap the legs of the adjacent type carriers to provide stability and close spacing of type characters between adjacent type carriers.

[ 51 July 17,1973

United States Patent [1 1 Perry et al.

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[22] Filed: Dec. 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 211,439

Primary Examiner-William B. Penn Attorney-Francis V Giolma et all.

ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. 101/111 [51] Int. B4lj 1/20 [58] Field of Search........................... 101/93 C, 111

lap the legs of the adjacent type carriers to provide stability and close spacing of type characters between adjacent type carriers.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,106 1/1942 Strike et al. will 11 X 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures WIDE BASE TYPE CARRIER FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates generally to printers having type carriers secured to a flexible toothed belt.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART Type cartridges have been known heretofore such as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,630,144, which issued on Dec. 28, I971, to F. l-Iilpert and G. Schacht, entitled Type Carrier Toothed Belt, wherein a plurality of U-shaped type carriers are secured to a toothed belt in side-byside non-overlapping relation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally stated, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved type carrier for a printer.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive type carrier which has greater stability of operation and provides improved print quality.

It is also an object of this invention to provide for mounting a plurality of U-shaped type carriers on a flexible toothed belt with said type carriers having parallel legs which are extra wide at the free ends to provide increased stability of the type carriers in the direction of motion during printing.

Another object of the invention is to provide for mounting on a flexible toothed belt a plurality of U- shaped type carriers having parallel legs which are extra wide at the free ends to provide elongated guide surfaces in the direction of motion, and in which the legs of every other type carrier are spaced further apart, so that the extra wide end portions thereof fit over and overlap the end portions of the adjacent type carriers.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of U-shaped type carriers secured to a flexible belt with the free'ends of the legs of the type carriers being I I; to 2 times wider than the bight portions which connect the legs and which carry raised type characters.

Still another object of the invention is to provide alternate U-shaped type carriers secured to a flexible toothed belt with parallel legs which are spaced apart far enough to overlap adjacent portions of the legs of the intervening type carriers so that the type character bearing bight portions of all the type carriers may be positioned close to each other even though the legs of the type carriers are wider at the free ends than the bight portions.

7 In a preferred embodiment of the invention a plurality of U-shaped type carriers are secured to a flexible toothed belt by pins which pass through the legs of the type carriers and through slots between adjacent portions of a plurality of uniformly-spaced teeth around the inner periphery of the belt. A pair of raised type characters are provided on each bight portion connecting the pair of legs, and the legs of all the carriers are wider at their free ends than at the bight portion ends. The legs of alternate type carriers are spaced apart a greater distance than are the legs of the invervening type carriers so that they overlap the legs of the intervening characters and permit the bight portions to substantially abut each other and permit relatively close spacing between the type characters carried on the different bight portions.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric partial view of a type cartridge embodying the invention in one of its forms; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the type belt of FIG. 1 with a pair of adjacent type carriers shown in exploded relation to better show the details thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the reference numeral l0 denotes generally a type cartridge comprising a main elongated base Support Plate 12 having a cut away portion 11 on the underside at each end to provide a relatively thin shelf-like Extension 14 at each end (only the left-hand end portion of the Cartridge 10 is shown, by way of representation, since the right-hand end portion is substantially identical therewith). As shown, a toothed Gear Wheel 16 is secured to the Extension 14 by means of a Screw L8 and a Bushing 20, so as to be rotatably mounted on the Extension 14 substantially in alignment with the body of the Support Plate 12.

A toothed flexible Belt 22 is mounted on the cartridge Support Plate 12 having a plurality of Teeth 24 uniformly spaced about the inner periphery to mate with the Teeth 26 of the Gear Wheel 16, it being understood that the Cartridge 10 has another similar Gear Wheel 16 at the other end for supporting the Belt 22. The Belt 22 has a relatively smooth outer periphery and carries a plurality of Type Carriers 30 and 32 which are secured to the Belt 22 by means of Pins 34 and 36, which are positioned in Openings 3 8 and 40 in the Legs 42 and 44 of the type carriers, as best shown in FIG. 2. The Pins 34 and 36 which are positioned in Slots 46 in the Teeth 24 are provided with a tight fit in the Openings 38 and 40 so that the type carriers can pivot about the Pins 34 and 36 in the Slots 46. The base Support Plate 12 of the Cartridge 10 is provided with offsets along the top and bottom of one edge defined by shoulder portions such as the Shoulder Portion 50, which is shown along the top edge. These offset portions are designed to receive Guide Members 52 and 54 positioned on the top and bottom offset portions, respectively, and secured to the base Support Plate 12 by means of Screws 56. The Guide Members .52 and 54 are provided with intumed Lip Portions 5 8 and 60, which engage the front surface of the bight portion of each of the Type Carriers 30 and 32 adjacent the edges to maintain the free ends of the legs in operating relation with the Edge Portion 60 of the base Support Plate 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, the Legs 42 of the Type Carrier 30 are positioned far enough apart to permit the flexible Belt 22 to fit therebetween with the Legs 42 lying relatively close to the upper and lower edges of the belt, and the connecting Bight Portion 41 slightly spaced from the outer periphery of the Belt 22. Opposite edges of the Legs 42 are inclined away from each other, being in the example shown, inclined at an angle of substantially 45 so as to provide a relatively wide guide surface at the free ends of the legs for guiding the Type Carrier 30 along the relatively flat Guide Surface 60 of the base Support Plate 12. The Legs 44 of the adjacent Type Carrier 32 are positioned further apart than are the Legs 42 of the Type Carrier 30 and are connected by a Bight Portion 45, so as to permit the Legs 44 to fit over the Legs 42 so that the Bight Portions 41 and 45 of the Type Carriers 30 and 32 may be positioned in substantially abutting relation when mounted on the Belt 22 with the Legs 44 overlapping the Legs 42 of the adjacent type carrier. This arrangement provides relatively wide or long Guide Surface Portions 43 and 47 at the ends of the legs of the Type Carriers 30 and 32 measured in a direction along the Belt 22, so as to provide for stable operation of the a Type Carriers 30 and 32 during printing. The extra wide Base or Guide Surface Portions 43 and 47 of the type carriers ride along the elongated Edge Portion 60 of the Support Plate 12 and tend to limit rotation of Type Carriers 30 and 32 about Pins 34 and 36 when one of the type characters on the surface is struck by a print hammer during printing. This has proven to provide greatly increased type quality, the printed characters being much clearer and much sharper than with the previous design. For example, the wide base portions 43 and 47 of the type carriers may be from 1 A to 2 times the width of the bight or type character hearing portion of the type carrier.

From the above description and the accompanying drawing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a simple and effective type carrier which has great stability during printing and provides improved printing.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirt and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a type cartridge a relatively flat elongated base support plate having a relatively straight edge portion, drive means including a toothed gear wheel rotatably mounted at one end of said base plate,

a flexible toothed belt having a plurality of teeth each with a central slot uniformly spaced about the inner periphery positioned about said gear wheel and extending along said edge portion, a plurality of U- shaped type carriers positioned on said belt from the outside periphery thereof, each having a pair of spaced apart legs positioned on opposite edges of said belt and connected by a bight portion on the outside periphery of said belt carrying a raised type character, said legs being wider at the free ends than at the bight portion so as to provide a longer guide surface at the carrying bight portion and said legs of alternate of said type carriers being spaced apart further than said legs of said intervening type carriers so that said legs of said alternate type carriers extend outside said legs of said intervening type carriers in overlapping relation,

means securing the type carriers to said belt comprising a single pin passing through said legs and positioned in one of said grooves between adjacent teeth on said belt,

and guide means having inturned lip portions engaging the surface of said bight portion to maintain said longer guide surfaces of said type carriers against said edge portion of said base plate.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 characterized by the width of the free ends of said legs being at least 1.5 times the width of said bight portion.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 characterized by a pair of raised type characters being positioned on said bight portion in side-by-side relation.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 characterized by said base support plate having a cut away end portion on one side at each end to provide a recess for said toothed gear wheel.

* III 

1. In a type cartridge a relatively flat elongated base support plate having a relatively straight edge portion, drive means including a toothed gear wheel rotatably mounted at one end of said base plate, a flexible toothed belt having a plurality of teeth each with a central slot uniformly spaced about the inner periphery positioned about said gear wheel and extending along said edge portion, a plurality of U-shaped type carriers positioned on said belt from the outside periphery thereof, each having a pair of spaced apart legs positioned on opposite edges of said belt and connected by a bight portion on the outside periphery of said belt carrying a raised type character, said legs being wider at the free ends than at the bight portion so as to provide a longer guide surface at the carrying bight portion and said legs of alternate of said type carriers being spaced apart further than said legs of said intervening type carriers so that said legs of said alternate type carriers extend outside said legs of said intervening type carriers in overlapping relation, means securing the type carriers to said belt comprising a single pin passing through said legs and positioned in one of said grooves between adjacent teeth on said belt, and guide means having inturned lip portions engaging the surface of said bight portion to maintain said longer guide surfaces of said type carriers against said edge portion of said base plate.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 characterized by the width of the free ends of said legs being at least 1.5 times the width of said bight portion.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 2 characterized by a pair of raised type characters being positioned on said bight portion in side-by-side relation.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 1 characterized by said base support plate having a cut away end portion on one side at each end to provide a recess for said toothed gear wheel. 